Imaginary Friend
by Unny Gorey
Summary: Raphael always though Imaginary Friends were supposed to disspear when one grew older. But he was mystaken. Can Leonardo get him back before he goes mad?
1. Moonlight Stroll in a Smile

Part of having an imaginary friend was it disappeared when you grew up. Such childish things are left behind as the mind grows more mature and so does the world around us. Childish things are left in childhood.

Or at least that's what I always thought.

Seems I was dead wrong.

--

The moon was full and bright in the starry night, not a signal cloud covered God's night blanket. Perfect night for a teenage mutant ninja turtle to take a rooftop stroll. This stroll would, hopefully, end in a few cold beers with his best friend Casey Jones.

But the way he kept feeling as if something was following him told Raphael different.

No matter how many times he diverted, turned around or used all of his ninja skill to find out who it was, it resulted in frustration. It was as if the moon itself was watching him.

Whatever it was, he felt as if he knew it- like an old dream he had long ago and forgot.

As he kept walking the feeling just increased. He wondered whether he should go to Case's or not. But then he saw it.-

It was a black streak out of the corner of his eyes. Without hesitation his sai were out and he held them in a way to stop any attacks heading his way. He heard a feral cry, slightly feline, slightly human. Why did it sound so familiar?

There! Again!

That streak of black.

It was travelling too faster for him to see, and he was good at tracking fast objects. He kept turning around as whatever it was kept darting around him.

"STOP IT!" Raph cried out in anger and frustration.

"Very well..."

Raphael's eyes widen. He felt a light pressure on his shoulders and something brushed against the back of his head and slightly on the side. It felt fur.

Slowly, Raph turned his head.

His head then snapped back to its original position.

He was dreaming. He had to be.

"Hellow Raphael..."

Raph's eye twitched. Just a dream... just a dream... it couldn't be real. It just couldn't.

"Well... that's nice, isn't it? I haven't seen you in years and here you are ignoring me. After all I've done for you! Or in your haste to grow up have you forgotten that?!"

"Cheshie...." Raph mumbled.

"Ah, I see you do remember at least a little. I'm flatteeeeered."

Raphael turned his head. There was a large cat on his shoulder- large being nearly twice the size of a normal cat- its fur was dark, but somehow still had hints of bright colour. The colour seemed to move around his fur and change into black symbols. The rest of his fur was grey. This cat had large paws and large claws to match. Its piercing green and gold eyes were as sharp and his claws but compared nothing to his teeth.

Those razor sharp fangs and that stupid smile.

The Cheshire Cat.

Raph growled. "What do you want, Cheshire?"

"Well, how charming.-" Raph felt the cat's tail hook around his neck like it used to while the cat talked. "I see your manners haven't improved. But then, I never had high hopes for that area of your personality."

Raphael snarled at the feline. "I said- "WHAT DO YOU WANT"!?"

He cried out as the feline's claws dug into his shoulders. The tail tightened around his neck. "What did I tell you about shouting on the upper level of this realm?"

The turtle groaned, and answered in a childish whining way. "Not to do it..."

"Very good." With that, the Cheshire Cat removed his claws and lapped at Raph's new marks, making them heal. Raph rolled his shoulder and the cat balanced perfectly on his shell.

"But seriously, what do you want Cheshie?"

"Ah- ah-ah!" The cat said, shaking its head. "What's the magic word?"

Raph let out an exasperated sigh as he rolled his eyes. He was beginning to remember how much of a pain this cat was. "Would you please tell me why you are here?"

"Certainly."

The feline vanished quickly from his shoulder and appeared in front of him in the typical cat-sitting position, his tail swaying side to side. "It's time you filled in your end of our bargain."

Raph's eyes widened and he dropped to his knees. He could feel those binding marks burning underneath his skin. He had completely forgotten. "What...?"

"Ahh..." The Cat walked over to him and began encircling him. "I did wonder... Your adult mind had blocked it all out. But now you'll start remember what happened all those years ago. Until you remember everything, I will have to stay with you. It will be like old times."

Raph was about to reply when the cat disappear again. He felt that tail wrap around his neck again, tighter than before, and claws dig into him.

"Sleep..."

The last thing he saw before Raph blacked out, was the moon.

--

Wandering through the forest, the moon was bright in the night sky. The path beneath him red with blood and the branches of the trees out reaching, they reached for him like they did the moon. He skipped along, humming the tune of the 2nd. He would soon be there, as long as he didn't pass the 1st.

"Alice, we have to hurry."

He looked. The moon smiled at him, narrowing its crater like eyes. He shook his head and continued to skip along the bloody path to the blue rose tree. The wind blew softly with a whisper as he looked for it.

There!

He knelt and kissed the soft petals. He then strokes the soft bone and stood, his humming evolving into song.

And he sung.

The song ended and the door opened. He walked through, silent like he should be.

--

Screaming.

He screamed and screamed.

He screamed so much his throat bled.

More screaming.

His eyes watered from being so wide and his nails dug into his scalp so deep that it bled too.

They watched and waited for him to stop to serve him strawberry icecream and chocolate cake.


	2. Realisation

When Raph woke up, he felt worse than shit ever did. He sat up in his hammock, rubbing his right eye with his palm. What wacked out dreams he was having lately. Maybe he should cut down on the drinking with Casey.

After a moment of the normal collection of thoughts, Raph jumped down from his hammock and tied on the only things he had close to clothing. Grumbling at the pounding headache he had, he found his door and walked out into the main area of the lair.

His feet lead him to the kitchen and his hands made him a breakfast of Sugar Bites. He grabbed a spoon as he was sat and was soon shovelling in the small, soggy, sugar coated ball as if they had each caused his hang over.

"Nice to see you've finally arisen."

Suddenly, Raph's headache seemed much worse. "What da' ya' want Leo? I'm not in the mood."

The chair scrapped painfully loud as Leo sat at the opposite end of the table. "What happened last night?"

"You know what happened last night." Raph grumbled into his cereal. "I visited Casey to have a few drinks."

"Well, that's funny." Leo said, in a mock jolly voice. "Because Casey phoned here to ask why you didn't show."

"Eh?" Raph looked at Leo now. The leader had a worried expression on his face, although he had his arms crossed in an angry manner. "What are you talking about?"

"Last night you came home-" Leo started, uncrossing his arms to interlock his fingers on the table. "And you were acting as if you were plastered. You wobbled about the place as if you didn't know how to control your own body. When Mikey tried to talk to you, you just smiled and patted him on the head, even though he called you by your most hated nickname in the end."

Raph stared at him. "I don't remember..."

This seemed to make Leo angry. He slammed his hands down on the table and stood up at the same time. "Raphael! I can't believe you were that drunk! What if the Foot had sprung on you?!"

Raph stood to, semi throwing his breakfast so the bowl skidded close to the middle of the table. "Leo! Its none of your-.... your....."

Two eyes and a grin were floating just above Leo's right shoulder. A nose soon followed, then a face, body, legs and lastly tail. "Morning Raphael, did you sleep well?"

It was now all too much for him. The last thing Raph saw was the table surface rushing up to meet him as he blacked out.

---

"Alice..." It said, approaching.

"Leave me alone!"

"But Alice..."

"I SAID LEAVE ME ALONE!"

"But it's bleeding too much Alice. Do you want the end up like the 3rd?"

Alice extended the arm, blood flowing quiet freely from the large gash.

It sighed, taking running a towel over the wound. "Even you can't take on those things, Alice."

"I know..." Alice pouted. "One day I'll be able to."

"You will." It mumbled, watching the cut heal itself down in its grasp. "You will be the strongest that's ever been in this land."

Alice sighed. One day was not soon enough.

It chuckled. Soon the screaming will start. Preparations would be needed.

"We all scream for icecream."

---

"Raph! Raph!"

The smell hit him first. He was in Donnie's mini hospital that always stank of bleach and disinfectant. Next came the feeling of the cot under his, the sheets soft but with a plastic feel to them. When he finally opening his stinging eyes, he could see the whiteness of the walls and floor and all of the equipment. Donnie himself was there, sitting by his bed.

"Hey Raph... how do you feel?"

Raph groaned in reply. Donnie laughed a little. "That good, eh?"

"W-what happened?" Raph asked, looking at the olive turtle with red, store eyes.

"You fainted while talking to Leo." Donnie leaned closer, taking a thermometer from Raph's mouth he hadn't even noticed. "And you have a fever." He put the tiny device away. "Let me tell you, Leo almost screamed when you flopped onto the table with your face in your cereal. It was the last thing he expected. Though, I would suggest it as a way to get out of lectures."

Raph smiled. "How's Fearless now?"

"Probably resting against the wall outside this room. I wouldn't let him stay when he brought you in." Donnie smiled back. "You know how much of a pain he is to work around when he's panicky."

"Yeah..." Raph shifted slightly "How long have I been out for?"

"Almost a whole day." Donnie looked worried now. "I was getting concerned." He sat on the end of Raph's bed. "And I checked, you had no traces of alcohol in your blood. You weren't drunk yesterday... or drugged. What exactly happened?"

Raph reached up and rubbed his eyes. "I don't remember."

Donnie looked at in for a while. "Were you attacked?"

"No."

"Possessed?"

He looked at Donnie. It was such an odd thing to hear come out of the scientist's mouth. Yes, they knew of magic but it was a dog to meow to hear his brother say a word like that. "What... what makes you say that?"

"Well..." Donnie shifted. "You were acting like... like a puppet on strings. You were moving almost impossibly. And when Mikey tried to get you angry, you didn't do anything. Just petted his head. And..." Donnie looked away. "Mikey said you gave him one of the scarcest expressions he's ever seen. You were smiling."

"... I was smiling... and it scared Mikey?" Raph said. Donnie nodded, watching Raph. "I don't remember..."

Donnie was replying, but Raph wasn't listening. Next to Donnie, it was forming. That same smile. Those eyes. A body followed as so did a voice.

"You're awake at last..."

Kicking the sheets off wildly him and jumped out of bed, the IV stand next to him crashing over. He ran backwards, falling over as he reached the corner of the room. He watched the cat. "Leave me alone!"

The cat got off the bed and appeared in front of him. "You're starting to remember."

"I SAID LEAVE ME ALONE!" Raph screamed at the cat. He turned over slightly, pressing his face to the way. "I... I don't want to remember..."

"Remember what Raphie?" Came a soothing voice. Three fingered hand cupped his cheeks to get him to look. "What is it you don't want to remember?"

"I-" Raph's breathe hitch. He felt as the cat curled onto his lap, licking at him palm.

"Raphael..." Donnie whispered.

"I don't want to go back..."

"Go back where?"

"You have to."

Raph let tears fall. "I don't want to..."

"You will."

Raph gave a tiny cry as teeth sank into his hand. Sleep consumed him like darkness without a light.


	3. Here Kitty

He was all alone. He wiped his eyes. Master Splinter had punished him for hurting his little brother and now he was in a dark room. He felt so lonely.

"Don't cry."

"Huh?" Raph looked up. A cat was sitting on the opposite side of the room. He blinked. How did a cat get here? "Here kitty..." He said weakly.

Raph blinked again, and the cat vanished. It appeared in front of him. Raph gasped. "How did you do that kitty?"

"I've always been able to do it." The cat grinned. "I'm the Cheshire Cat. I want to be your friend Raphael."

"But..." Raph said. "I'm not meant to talk to anyone outside the family. Let alone have friends. I'm... I'm a freak you see..."

"I'm not exactly normal myself." The cat said, it nuzzled Raph's leg. "Who told you that?"

"M-my Father... Master Splinter." Raph sniffed, wiping his eyes.

"Did he hit you?"

Raph nodded. "I... I hit Mikey. So he hit me on the legs as punishment. He says a ninja shouldn't hurt others unless it's self defence."

The cat said nothing. He began licking at the red patch of Raph's skin. It stopped stinging.

"W-wow..."

"If you like, Raphael, I'll be a secrete. Don't tell anyone about me and I'll your friend." Cheshire nuzzled Raph's leg again. "And no one else will be able to see me."

"Can I call you Cheshie Puss? Or just Cheshie?" Raph said, stroking the cat's head with the clumsiness of his age.

"You can call me whatever you like."

---

He groaned. That horrible taste was in this mouth again, his throat sore as if he had been screaming. He could feel it lying in his lap as his hand absentmindedly stroke it, like he had done so many times before. The cold wall was pressing against his skin, causing him to shiver now and again. His legs lay out uselessly as he lay there like a broken doll. His eyes rested on the empty room, some big to his lowered vision.

_Where am I?_

"You haven't moved, Raphael." The Cheshire Cat whispered to him, curling around him like a vine.

"Haven't moved from where, Cheshie Puss?" He mumbled, reaching up a numb hand to stroke under the large cat's chin.

The feline churred for a while before answering. "Your Brother Donatello's hospital room."

"Brother...?"

"Yes, you have three of them." The cat soothed, nuzzling the green cheek that had tiny trails of wetness.

There was a pause while Raphael tried to remember. "Oh... yes... I remember now."

"It's not the only thing you remember, is it?"

Another pause. "When am I going back?"

Before the feline could answer, the door to the room opened. An olive figure peered in. Hesitating, the turtle walked in a kneeled in front of Raphael. "Hey... Raph... how do you feel?"

It took a while for the dark jungle green turtle to reply. He stared, unseeing. After a moment he blinked and looked at Donnie. "I'm alright... just a little cold..."

"Let me get you a blanket." Donnie said quietly to him as if afraid that the sound might hurt him. He smiled gently and stood up, walking over to a cupboard before laying the surprisingly warm blanket over Raph. "Is that better?"

Raph nodded quietly.

"Can I get you anything else? Like... something to eat?" Donnie said, still smiling in a way that only a doctor could.

"Icecream."

"Icecream? But... that won't make you any warmer."

"I want icecream."

"But you hate icecream..."

"I WANT ICECREAM." Raph yelled at Donnie. The purple clad ninja got the hint and practically ran out the room.

"You really shouldn't scream at people like that, Raph." Said the cat on his lap. It curled up and rolling onto its back, its paws in the air looking for more attention in the form of strokes. The turtle obliged, rubbing the oversized cat's bony rib cage. It purred appreciably, but still continued to talk. "Especially not in this world. People here can get a little upset if you scream at them."

"Why?" Raph replied quietly

The feline remained quiet, lapping at Raphael hand for a moment. Raphael soon forgot his question for Donnie had returned balancing a tray with a bowl of the icecream which he was sent out the room to fetch. Also on a tray was amount of steaming liquid in a mug that was faintly the familiar to Raph. He kept staring at it as the tray was placed on the table next to the medical bed.

"Here you are Raph, your ice-cream. I thought that it might still be a little cold for you so… I brought you Mikey's homemade hot chocolate."

Raph slowly got up and made his way to the bed. The Cheshire cat moved from his lap onto his shoulders in a way that no other feline could, allowing himself to see from Raph level vision and also allowing him to not be left on the floor. Raph sat on the edge the bed and reached over hungrily to the bowl of ice cream, grabbing the spoon and shovelling the frozen dairy substance in to his mouth in a way that was both immature and clumsy.

As he ate, Raph could feel Donnie eyes on him but also could feel his doctor smile. He didn't like it. In the sudden rush of anger, he threw the ball at Donnie. Luckily Donnie years of ninja training had allowed him to just dodge it. When Donnie went to shout at him, Raph was drinking from the mug, swinging his legs like a child. Donnie looked at him confused. Maybe Raph was worse than he had thought.

"Raph…" Donnie muttered under his breath. He wanted to tell the others to maybe get their advice but he didn't want to leave Raphael alone. He would have to sedate Raph so he would not harm himself. He was used to Raph throwing temper tantrums, but Raph trying to hurt Donnie for no apparent reason without yelling first was completely unheard of. Even when Raph would chase Mikey he would give him a warning first. This usually gave Mikey a chance to run away.

Donnie caught Raph just as the larger turtle keeled over. He also grabbed the mug before it smashed on the ground. He laid Raph back on the bed. He had indeed slipped sedative into the hot chocolate. He signed looking around the room to check nothing threatening or dangerous was left in the room. He didn't want Raph to hurt himself. With that he took the tray, and picked up the bowl as he left the room.

----

"So… How is Raph? Is he all right?"

They were crowded in the living area. Donnie had called them there after he had walked out of the infirmary, and the urgency in his voice may get everyone come immediately.

"Well…" Donnie started. He hadn't told the rest of the family what condition Raphael was in. He didn't want them to worry.

"My son…" Master Splinter leant on his cane pushing up slightly to stand. "Donatello, please tell us…"

"I think-" Donnie started, unsure of what say. "-It's a mixture of stress and the fever but… He's going to need some time off. He is under loss of mental stress."

"Like before?"

Donnie looked up, it was Mikey who spoke this time. Mikey hadn't said anything previously, he just sat on the corner of the couch looking scared.

"What do you mean Mikey?" Leo said, watching Mikey.

"Don't you R –remember? Raph went missing for nearly two weeks and when he came back he was different. He… Kept blacking out and he was really meet and stuff."

"I… Don't remember that." Leo said, staring at Mikey. He frowned, trying to remember. But it was like it had been removed from his mind. He looked Master Splinter, whom also looked confused.

"Michelangelo, what is this you speak of?" Master Splinter said, studying his youngest son's face.

Mikey simply shook his head he didn't any more than that. It was like as he said it, it was erased from his mind. "I… Don't know…"

Master Splinter frowned slightly, but remained silent.

To break the uncomfortable silence in the room, Donnie spoke. "So… I'm sure he'll be fine in a few days… Maybe a week. He just needs to rest."

_I hope..._

---

"All lone…"

Alice sat in the have chequered halls, filled with white pillars. He had finished bowls of ice cream all round him but he was unable to move. The straps around his arms and chest were bounds to chains attached to the walls hidden by his black cape with the white underside. The white stripes always made his black suit like coat with its colourful, and many coat tails look like a straitjacket. But I felt tight around his neck as did the finger less gloves with the bright coloured cuffs. The high collar of the cape was pressing against the crown on his head that would never come off.

Alice let out a tiny sob. It would be like this for a few more hours.

"All alone…"

It was time like this that Alice missed the family that he can barely remember.

"All alone…"


	4. Chained Dance

Alice tugged at the chains. He pulled, pulled and pulled. But they wouldn't move. He gave one final pull but they didn't move. He fell to his knees, panting. It eventually lifted its head.

"Are you finished, your Majesty?"

Alice looked up. His eyes narrowed. Why was there creature there? He hadn't had summoned it. He was about to interrogate the creature when he noticed the symbol emblazed across its chest.

"What does Alice want?"

It opened a scroll and began to talk in a loud voice that would normally be adopted to address a loud crowd. This made the hall echo with every word. "Her Majesty Alice has invited you to a dance!"

"Oh goodie..."

"Will your Majesty Alice be attending?"

"I guess." With that, Alice gave the gentlest of tugs and the chains fell away from him. The straps on his coat rebuckled themselves back into normal position. He stood. "Does she want me right now?"

"Yes, your Majesty."

Alice turned and opened the green door. When he walked through he was met by more green and more servants. He breathed in that wonderful scent of the one who lived here

"ALICE!"

The wonderful smell of rotting flesh.

She came running up to him. He saw her and bowed. She giggled as he produced a green rose from nowhere.

"Now, there's no need for that, my darling 5th."

The 5th Alice stood, looking the 3rd up and down. "I cannot help it with you looking like that." He took her hand and kisses it, the exposed bone feeling wonderfully cold against his lips.

The 3rd giggled. "Oh! You're such a romantic!"

"I can't help it."

"Eat me...."

He bit into her hand of rotting flesh and tore away a chunk. He chewed and swallowed hungrily. She moaned sweetly and the flesh grew back, fresh and alive where it had once been dead. She leaned and licked congealed blood off of his lips.

The 5th took her waist, forcing the 3rd into a kiss. She accepted and he began to lead her onto the dance floor. He slow danced, gripping her new hand tightly in his.

"Oh 5th~"

He lowered his head and bit into her neck.

--

Raph woke with a jolt, his arms stretched out as if holding someone. Teeth ready to bite.

"Morning Raph."

He looked up. Mikey was in the room with a tray. "It's like, almost afternoon dude. I know Donnie told me that yah need to rest... but I thought you might be hungry so I snuck in here with something for yah. Isn't being a Ninja the greatest?"

Raph groaned and sat up. A tray was placed across his lap. It contained stuff that wasn't icecream. He took the spoon and pushed it into the bowl. The tiny multicoloured balls moved around in the white stuff that looked a little like melted vanilla icecream. He stirred it and noticed that the balls were going all melty and mushy. He took a spoonful and put it in his mouth.

The liquid dribbled down the sides of his mouth and he found he had to chew the tiny ball. They were wrong. They didn't melt and they were crunchy. The only thing right was the sweetness.

The sweetness...

He grabbed the bowl and poured it into his mouth. The liquid run out his mouth and down his neck and body, making the sheets wet. But he crunched and the sweet taste filled his mouth. He just dropped the bowl on the floor.

Mikey stared at him. "A-are you alright?"

Raph didn't answer. He just sat there, dripping milk. Mikey didn't bother picking up what he had brought and just bolted out the room.

A slight purr came from his right shoulder and he soon found something licking at his face, neck and body. He looked to see Cheshire cleaning off all the milk.

"You know..." It said between licks. "You keep acting like that and your family will be suspicious. They won't let you out and then you might not be able to return."

"I was never a very good actor, Cheshie Puss."

"Well, try your best." The cat said and vanished as the door opened.

Raphael looked up to see the familiar silhouette. It was the silhouette of the giant rat. Raphael stared as it stepped closer and he could see the rat's expression. He didn't look happy.

"Raphael…"

But we're was clinging onto the tray Mikey had brought in staying up and Master Splinter. In a small voice he said "Can I come out now?"

Master Splinter regarded him for a second before nodding. "Follow me, my Son."

Raph put the tray to one side and proceeded to follow Master Splinter who had already turned around and started walking out the room. Raph didn't need to look at his shoulder to tell that Cheshire had leapt onto his favourite perching place.

As he passed the living room, Raph could almost sense the stares he was getting from those are the creatures. The one with the blue cloth wrapped around his face got up as if wanting to say something, but the rat signalled to him and he settled back down not looking at happy.

Master Splinter guided Raph into his room and made him kneel in front of his desk as normal. Only, Raph didn't kneel. He sat with his legs out in a childish manner. Splinter frowned as he knelt behind his desk. Raphael, one of his most grown up sons was acting like a child. Maybe it was his inner child taking over due to stress? He wanted to test this. He got out some icecream from within a draw he had asked Leo to put while he got Raphael and placed it on his desk.

"Are you hungry?"

Raph nodded vigorously. He picked up the bowl and began eating quickly, some melting and dribbling down his chin. Splinter's frown deepened and he sniffed.

He sniffed a few more times, scowling deeper. Something wasn't right. Something smelled wrong.

The Cheshire Cat scrawled at the rat before him. Could this creature smell him? He has once had a run in with this mutated rat once before and he had almost been detected. Had this rat's sense of smell heightened in his old age?

"Raphael."

Raph looked up. "Yes... umm... Master Splinter?"

"Tonight you will be able to join your brothers on patrol... but with this condition." Master Splinter pointed at Raph. "You are to stay with you brothers at all times and follow Leo's orders to the letter. Got that my Son?"

Raphael nodded. The cat smiled. This was gonna be fun.


	5. eveal ot emiT

"Raph... what are you staring at?"

Raphael didn't respond to the gentle voice of the purple one, he was watching the moon. It was grinning at him. But that was the only thing that was right about this sky, everything was wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, WRONG!

"Raph..." The blue one whispered. "We have to keep moving..."

"Why?"

"Because Dude," The orange one had joined in. "We get spotted by the Footy, so we have to keep moving."

"Why?"

The blue one lets out an annoyed sighed while the orange one just looked worried. The purple one leaned close to Raphael and whispered. "Because there may be some thugs to beat up."

He looked at Donnie and grinned, his eyes too wide. Donnie stumbled back suddenly as if Raph had tried to bite him. In the time it took Leo and Mikey to catch Donnie, Raph had jumped down the high building and landed perfectly on his feet and hands.

"Cheshie Puss~~"

The cat appeared on his shoulder, churring loudly. "I heard...."

"Shall we?"

"At your leisure, Alice." The Cat whispered. With that, the feline seemed to mould into Raphael. Claw, teeth; they were his now. Even his back legs had become more suited for all fours. He leaned back and short forwards with my momentum, vanishing from sight as he did so.

It wasn't long till Alice found his prey. A fat one and a skinny one with purpled shaded skin here and there. There was also a female there. Alice tilted his head. The female was scared. Females shouldn't be scared. Those who scare females are wrong. Wrong must die.

With all the elegance of a feline, Alice dropped down in shadow and listened.

"C 'mon lady, it will be easier on both of us."

"NO! Never!"

"In that case... you'll have to pay another way." The skinny one was walking closer to the female in a way Alice didn't like.

"Painting the Roses Red..."

The skinny one froze. Then he heard a giggle. A childish giggle. He turned to the nearby dustbins, raising his bat quietly.

"Painting the Roses Red..."

The skinny one suddenly smashed his bat against the garbage cans, causing them to go flying. But there was nothing there. The skinny one spun around as he heard a giggle coming from the other side of the ally. He tensed. The fat one had clued in, looking around scared.

The woman ran away.

"Painting the Roses Red..." Alice stepped out of the shadows once the woman was completely gone.

The skinny one turned and looked at Alice. "You!"

"Me~?" Alice tilted his head to one side

"Yes! You! You're that fucking frog costumed freak that keeps attacking us!" The skinny one said. He didn't seem so bright. Nor did it seem that he could really see what Alice looked like. If he did, he would have run by now.

Alice giggled.

"What's so funny?"

Alice grinned, flashing his eyes. "We're painting the Roses Red!"

"Wh-" He gurgled. He found that Alice was now holding his voice box as blood was spurting out of his throat.

"Painting the Roses-"

_Slash_

"Painting the Roses-"

_Cut_

"We're PAINTING THE ROSES RED!"

_Stab_

He pulled his claws out of the fat one's cut up corps, pulling out his heart. Alice started licking the blood off it as if it was a lolly.

--

When they found Raph, he was walking across the rooftops covered in blood. They had dragged him back to lair, babbling nonsense. Out of everything that happened, it was the last thing to happen that night that scared and shocked them the most.

--

"Raph! Snap out of it!" Leo shouted at his brother, slapping him across the face. Mikey was crying in a corner while Donnie was panicking. He had run out of sedative. Master Splinter stood behind Leo.

"!ffo kcaB !em hcout ot thgir on evah ouy !mucs ouy ,ti potS"

Leo began shaking him, slapping harder. "Stop it Raph! You're scaring Mikey!"

With that, Raph kicked his brother in the chest and walked away. ".latrop eht nommuS .tsal gnol ta nruter ot em rof emit sit ...ssuP eihsehC"

Mikey gasped, he was the first one to spot it. As Raphael walked, the ground he touched turned to mirror. He began to sink.

Leo rushed to him, tried to grab him but he was too slow.

Raphael was gone.


	6. Invertation

Leonardo lay there, on his front, hand out. Frozen.

He let his fingers slowly curl in, closing his hand. He didn't know what to do, or even what to feel. He wanted to scream, shout, cry, throw things, comfit his sobbing brother. Most of all he wanted to be able to go after Raphael. But that was impossible.

He moved onto his knees, shaking.

Over the last week Raphael had been behaving strangely. No... That didn't give it justice. He had been acting mad ever since he had come back from (not) visiting Casey...

--

_Leonardo heard the scraping of brick of the entrance to the lair opening, indicating Raphael was home. He stood up to give his traditional where-have-you-been questionings, followed by a predictable you-shouldn't-be-out-on-your-own-you-could-have-been-killed lecture when he saw that Mikey had got to him first... or more like heard it._

_"Hey! Hey! Raph! Come play Soul Calibur with me! I've made a character for each of us so we can have awesome battles!"_

_Leo was expecting Raph to say something like "not right now, Mike" or even just grunt. But nothing. All he heard was the lair entrance closing again._

_"Raph? What's wrong?"_

_That simple phrase made Leo bolt to the hall, skidding to where the two youngest were. Mikey was standing slightly in front of Raph, blocking him from view... almost. From what Leo could see, Raph has his head down, knees bent slight and was gripping onto the side of the wall, digging into it as if he had claws._

_"Raph! Answer me!" Mikey said, sounding a little scared. "Answer me you freak!"_

_Raph raised his other hand and slowly petted Mikey's head, turning his own slightly. Whatever Mikey saw caused him to go pale and back away. Blood trickled down his face from a gash on his head. Leo bolted forwards again, to Mikey. He pulled of his bandana and covered Mikey's cut with it._

_Raph just continued to walk inside. It wasn't so much was walking as more stumbling, like he didn't know how to work his feet. Leo was about to shout after him, call him back but Mikey squeezed him arm. _

_Leo did nothing as Raphael walked into his room._

_--_

Leonardo stood up slowly and turned to his remaining family. Mikey was sobbing his heart out while Donnie and Master Splinter group-hugged him. Leo's shoulders sagged. He walked over to them, joined them.

"I promise guys... I'll bring him back."

-

It had almost been a whole 24 hours since Raphael horrific exit and. Mikey was sill crying, but nothing like he had done earlier. Donnie sat with his side bag, as if waiting for something while Master Splinter was meditating in his room.

Leo on the other hand didn't know what to do with himself. He would get up, pace, sit back down. He would make himself something to eat then not eat it. He picked up the phone to only put it down. He wanted to phone their human friends to see if they knew anything but at the same time he didn't want to worry them. All the time he just kept going over what happened... and blamed himself for it.

If he had caught Raph, he could have ether pulled him out or be pull in with him. If he followed Raph there would have least been a way to bring him back. If only he had been quicker. Or even, if only he had talked to Raph. Donnie had kept him locked away so he didn't have a chance to speak with him. Maybe he could have knocked some sense into him earlier. Or even-

"I think Raph was talking backwards."

"Wha-?" Leo said stupidly. Donnie had interrupted his thoughts.

"The way Raph was talking... I think he was talking backwards." Donnie said again. "And that it looked as if he stepped through a mirror..."

"S-so?" Mikey said. Even when sobbing, Mikey still liked to be included in conversation.

"Well... it seems that Raph slipped into another dimension... and maybe they talk backwards there..." Donnie said, thinking out load. "But I could be wrong..."

"Donnie, anything you think of can be useful right now." Leo said, not looking at his brothers. "We need as much information as we can get."

"Well I-"

Donatello was interrupted by the sound of a trumpet. The three turtle brother turned around, frantically looking for where the sound came from. There... over by the pool...

It was a white rabbit.

"What the-..." Leo uttered under his breath.

This white rabbit was in a green waist coat, with a green cape... and a green tie... and green trousers. It was holding a trumpet with a green flag on it. Both waist coat and flag were emblazoned with the same symbol; a black clover.

The rabbit began to speak, as if addressing a large crowd. "Her majesty, Alice the 3rd would like to-"

That's all the rabbit managed to say before Leo had leapt forwards and grabbed the creature by his collar, pulling the runt up to his level. "Where.- Is- My- BROTHER?!"

The rabbit blinked its unnaturally green eyes. It was obviously confused. It then continued its message even louder than before. "Her majesty, Alice the 3rd would like to invite you to a dance!"

It was Leo's turn to be confused. "Umm... what?"

"Her Majesty, Alice The 3rd Would Like To Invite You To A Dance!" The rabbit said again, pronouncing the message as if Leo was deaf.

"Who's Alice? And why is she the 3rd one?" Mikey said. It sounded a stupid question, but oddly a good one to ask, especially one coming from the youngest.

The rabbit obviously thought it was just a stupid question. "HER MAJESTY, ALICE THE 3rd WOULD LIKE TO INVITE YOU TO A DANCE!!"

"Can I see the invitation?" Donatello said, holding out his hand. He had been the only one to notice the envelope that the creature was holding. It handed it to Donnie, who opened it.

It was within that moment that the floor seemed to fall from beneath them as they were plunged into darkness.


	7. The Red Forrest

Leonardo was the last to wake, finding Donatello and Michelangelo leaning over him. He groaned and tried to sit up

"Dude, you're finally awake" His youngest brother said, helping Leonardo into a sitting position.

Leo groaned again, rubbing his head. "W-where are we?"

Naturally, Donnie was the first to answer. "Judging by the way we got here, it's probably another dimension."

"Yeah, that first step's a dusy!" Mikey cam e in, sniggering slightly at the appalling joke he just made.

Donnie rolled his eyes before continuing to talk. "As I was saying, my guess is that we're in the same world Raph is. We fell through a mirror like substance."

Leo nodded, but he was frowning. The way Donnie was talking didn't sound right to him. "Hey... Donn-" he stopped. His voice also sounded wrong.

"Noticed?" Donnie said. "It appears we're talking backwards just like Raph was doing... but we seem to understand each other easily enough."

"Hurrah for dimensional conveyance!" Mikey added.

Leo scowled at him. "Mikey, this is no time for jokes."

Leonardo then proceeded to look around as he stood up. It appeared that they were in a forest, which was fine at first glance. The second glance told a different story. Everything had the theme of red. Red sky, red grass, red path... but the trees were black and dead looking. He walked over to one and touched the bark softly. It was wet.

Pulling his hand away, he could see it wasn't covered in sticky sap, but rather blood. He looked down at the path, realising that that too was made of blood.

Leo bolted back, bumping into Donnie who caught him by grabbing his shell. He could tell that Donnie had expected it, so Don had probably freaked out also. Mikey definitely did.

"Yeah, lovely isn't it?" Mikey said sarcastically, his snout wrinkled with disgust as he stood next to Leo. "Something tells me this won't be a walk in the park. Who wants to bet $10 that it's gonna be worse than the dimension with bugs?"

"Deal."

"Guys!" Leo spun around, looking at them. "Now's not to time to joke! What if something hears us?"

"Oh, and raising your voice like that wont alert anything at all." Donnie whispered, sarcasm seeping into every word.

"Guys... Was that there before?" Mikey said very slowly, pointing.

The oldest turned and looked to see what the youngest was pointing at. It was a large book, right in the middle of the path. It was about as big as Leo and had a wind-up key lodged in the side of it. Without realising, Leo stepped forwards, towards it, drawn to it. He stood in front of it, staring. He reached for the key and began to wind up the large, black book.

A soft female voice began to speak, and as she spoke, words appeared on the pages as if written by some invisible hand.

_"In some place, was a dream,  
Who dreamed it, was unknown  
Such a truly tiny dream it was,  
The little dream thought"_

The story was suddenly interrupted by a little girls scream.

_"I don't want to be vanishing like this,  
How do I get People to watch me?"_

_  
"The Little dream thought and though,  
And came up with something."_

_  
"If I get people to stray into me,  
and let them make the world!"_

Leo turned to his brothers. Mikey was clinging onto Donnie, shaking from fright. Donnie was watching the moon.

This was going to be a LOT worse than the bug dimension.


End file.
